When news was confirmed via the BBC yesterday that Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph had signed a new long term contract, there would have been a few disheartened individuals at White Hart Lane.

The Daily Mirror has suggested that earlier this month Spurs were keen on a deal but there are a couple of players who should now sense an opportunity to work hard and improve over the next couple of months.

Etienne Capoue and Brazilian star Paulinho are two players who would have definitely expected to play more this season, but they have struggled to make the most of the opportunities when they have come.

Tottenham’s decision not to submit a series of offers for Delph suggests that first team boss Mauricio Pochettino isn’t interested in letting any players leave before the end of the current transfer window.

That leads to the suggestion that Capoue and Paulinho will get more chances to impress over the rest of the season.

Capoue has arguably been overtaken by Benjamin Stambouli in terms of the holding role at Spurs and needs games to show that he can be an authority in front of the defence.

Paulinho has been used sparingly by the club but despite an FA Cup exit, Spurs are still fighting on multiple fronts and he offers a more creative option.

Any bids for Delph or the arrival of the player himself, would have signalled doubt over the futures of both players because the Aston Villa man has the ability to play defensively while also offering an option going forward.

Lewis Doe

Lewis Doe is a freelance writer and editor who seeks to bring you the biggest, smallest and most interesting stories from the football world. Lewis has previously written for some of the biggest football news and opinion sites in the world including FootballFanCast and Goal.com International. Lewis is also experienced writing in the betting industry and aims to deliver his stories with up to date factual and statistical information. He hopes to sum up stories for the site and provide an angle on the issue moving forward.Lewis is HITC Sport's La Liga correspondent.